Gaza evacuation ‘war games’

Sunday, April 17, 2005 |

Israeli security forces held their first drills today to prepare for the evacuation of Jewish settlers from Gaza, which is due to begin in late July. The “war games” were commanded by army Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Moshe Ya’alon, and other senior officers from the army, police and Shin Bet intelligence service. Security sources say they dealt with worst-case scenarios, such as tens of thousands of settlers violently resisting the evacuation. The exercise included testing communications systems and officers’ ability to make decisions under pressure. A newspaper that polled Gaza settlers found that 61 percent would resist the evacuation, though most say they will not use violence.

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